Appointment for next 29 May with the event Underwater Noise in the Mediterranean. Organized by the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC), in collaboration with UNEP/MAP partner OceanCare, this webinar is dedicated to underwater noise in the Mediterranean.
The meeting aims to shed light on a growing issue: the increase in noise generated by human activities, particularly commercial shipping, which is altering a fundamental environment for marine life. Many species in fact depend on sound to communicate, orient themselves, reproduce, and survive. The webinar will be attended by experts and stakeholders in the fields of marine protection, maritime transport, and environmental policy.
The webinar also aims to provide targeted information and strengthen the capacity of Contracting Parties on underwater radiated noise, with particular attention to:
• Technical aspects of underwater noise, its ecological impacts, and available mitigation measures;
• The application of the newly adopted IMAP Common Indicators on underwater noise, including threshold values and possible developments within the UNEP/MAP framework;
• The features and functionalities of the NAVISON project developed by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA);
• Relevant international initiatives, including the work of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on underwater radiated noise (e.g. the Glonoise project and the updated guidelines – MEPC.1/Circ.906/Rev.1 (2024) – and its related action plan);
• Ongoing activities of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic area (ACCOBAMS);
• The High Ambition Coalition for a Quiet Ocean and its role in promoting global cooperation for ocean noise reduction.